What is climate and how does it differ from weather?
Answer
Weather in any particular location or region can change quickly from hour to hour, day to day, season to season and year to year, even within an unchanging climate. Such changes include shifts in temperature, snow and rainfall, winds, and clouds. They are caused by an interplay of a number of factors, including rapid shifts in air circulation, slower variations in ocean conditions, or seasonal changes in the amount of sunshine. The climate of a locality or region is calculated by averaging these weather conditions over an extended period of time, usually at least 30 years. The climate also describes how weather conditions can vary from these average values. Such variations are described in statistical terms such as standard deviations or frequency of occurrence.back to the questions
